Three years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks were launched from Boston, Logan International Airport won the inaugural aviation security award from Airport Security Report, based on the airport's quick response to lapses highlighted by the attacks.
"No other airport in the United States received as much scrutiny after the 9/11 attacks as Boston Logan,'' the biweekly publication said. ``Ever since, no other U.S. airport has done more to build an internationally respected security program.''
The Airport Security Report is published by Maryland-based Access Intelligence, which publishes reports on several different industries. Logan was selected as the first winner of the ``Exceptional Performance in Airport Security Awards'' by report editor Eric Glasser and four other aviation security specialists who participated in the judging.
The two planes that brought down New York's World Trade Center were hijacked after taking off from Logan.
The report lists the new technology that Logan has pioneered since 2001, as well as the proactive stance taken by management, which changed soon after the attacks.
"I think above all it's the philosophy there, which has changed over the years and now clearly prioritizes security,'' Grasser said. ``The backbone of that is making security management inclusive to all participants in the airport.''
Logan was the first airport in the country to launch new baggage screening practices at each terminal. It also trained its police force in the controversial practice of behavior pattern recognition, which focuses on identifying people who demonstrate suspicious mannerisms, and equipped the officers with submachine guns.
The airport has also installed a perimeter security system that monitors the beaches surrounding the airport.
